Brandon Phillips: I choked, I didn’t do nothing

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips had a tough day at the plate in a 6-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night. One of the downsides of a one-game wild card playoff is that when something like that happens, you may not have a chance to redeem yourself. Phillips does not, as the Reds’ season has come to an end.

Phillips went 0-for-4 against Pittsburgh and left four men on base. After the game, he said that the Reds ” choked.” When asked to clarify his comments, Phillips took full responsibility for the loss.

“I choked,” he said. “I didn’t do nothing today? What’d I do today? Did I get any hits? Did I get any RBIs? I choked. I didn’t do nothing to make the team win. It’s on my back. It’s not the team’s fault, it’s my fault. I had opportunities to come through for the team and I didn’t do that.”

This is exactly what I dislike about the new expanded playoff system. Performance in the clutch is key in any sport, but deciding anything in one game in a sport that has a 162-game regular season seems absurd. Even a three-game series would make more sense.

Having said that, the Pirates deserve credit for getting it done. They outperformed the Reds with their season on the line, and as a result they have earned a spot in the NLDS. Phillips is not the only person to blame for that.